Individual expression device for mechanically-played musical instruments



Aug. 13, 1929. s. E. MILLS 1,724,140

INDIVIDUAL EXPRESSION DEVICE FOR MECHANICALLY PLAYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Oct. 14. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Le J? QM Aug. 13, 1929. B. E. MILLS 1,724,140

INDIVIDUAL EXPRESSION DEVICE FOR MECHANICALLY PLAYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Oct. 1 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Maw M! Patented Aug. 13, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERT E. MILLS, 01 OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MILLS NOVELTY COMPANY, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS. I

INDIVIDUAL EXPRESSION DEVICE FOR MECHANICALLY-PLAYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed October 14, 1926. Serial No. 141,470.

This invention relates to mechanically operated musical instruments, such as electric self-playing violins of the general type illustrated in Sandell Patent- No. 855,021, and has for its primary object the provision of an improvement therein whereby the expression may be controlled more nearly in the manner of human playing than has heretofore been possible with instruments of this character.

A highly important feature of the improvement resides in the provision of means for individually regulating the operation of the several sounders or playing instrumentalities so that not only may the tone produced by each individual sounder be varied as to volume, but the volume may be varied as between diife'rent sounders.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of an instrument in which my invention is embodied, only so much thereof being shown as is necessary to an understanding of the improvement and certain parts being broken away for convenience in illustration;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the violin, showing in elevation certain of the operating elements and also illlustrating, for the most part diagrammatically, the electrical means for controlling said elements; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view showing the mounting and relation of the gear elements connecting the motor and bow shafts.

I have shown upon said drawings, for illustrative purposes only, an embodiment of the invention in which the reference character 21 indicates a violin having the usual four strings 22, 23, 24 and 25 adapted to be played by sounders or bows 26 mounted on rotary shafts 27 which, in the present instance, are driven by individual electric motors 28 of small size, which are enclosed in a casing 29 and have their shafts 31 geared to the shafts 27 by means of worms 32 on the motor shafts meshing with gears 33 carried on the sounder shafts 27, which prefer ably carry, adjacent the said gears, sleeves 34 having arms 34 provided with terminal collars 34 fitting upon the shafts 31 adjacent the worms 32, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The casing 29 is supported upon a frame disposed above a table 30, which also supports the violin 21 through rests 30".

The sounders or bows 26 are adapted to be moved into or out of contact with the strings by means of levers 35, secured at one end to the bow shafts 27 and, intermediate their ends, to a rock shaft 36 journaled in suitable bearings 37, 37'. Said levers are spaced apart by collars 38 on the shaft 36 and carry at their rear ends armatures 39 adapted to be operated by electromagnets 41 to rock the levers and thereby apply the constantly rotating bows or sounders to the strings, or lift them therefrom.

Fmgering levers 42 are provided in suitable number and adapted to be operated by electromagnets (not shown) supported by frame work 43 (see Fig. 1).

The tailpiece 44 towhich the strings are connected beyond the bridge 45 is adapted to be vibrated to produce the tremolo or vibrato effect of human violin-playing by means of a rod 46 connected at one end with the tailpiece and at its opposite, threaded end 47 passing through the upper end of the pendulous lever 48, fulcrnmed at 49, and with which the rod 18 is adjustably connected by thumb nuts 51 bearing upon opposite sides of said lever 48. The lever is adapted to be actuated by electrical devices (not shown) to produce the tremolo effect.

The motors 28 are adapted to be energized by means of manually operable keys 52 (or, if desired, by automatic means, such as the well-known perforated paper rolls), the keys (or contact roller in the case of automatic operation) being adapted to close the motor circuit in the manner which will now be described and which is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The keys 52 are provided with extensions 53 at the rear ends which are adapted, upon depression of the key, to actuate a lever 54 pivoted at 55 and having an arm 56 carrying a contact member 57 at the end thereof, it being understood that said contact is suitably included in one side of the circuit. Three contact buttons 58, 59 and 61 are arranged to be engaged by the contact member 57 accord ing to the position of the lever 54. Said contacts 58, 59 and 61 are connected respectively by wires 62, 63 and 64 with the motor 28, the wire 64; leading directly thereto and the wires 62 and 63 through a resistance element 64. The wire 63 connects into an intermediate part of the resistance and the wire 62 leads to the end thereof remote from the motor. Thus when the key 52 is but lightly touched the movable contact 57 engages the contact 58 and all the resistance 6% is in .cluded in the motor circuit. Further depression of said key moves the contact 57 into engagement with the contact 59, cutting out half of the resistance and finally, upon full depression of the key, contact is established with the contact member and all of the resistance is shunted out. Obviously, the motor will not run so rapidly when the resistance is included in the circuit and as more and more of it is shunted out, the speed increases, thus increasing the speed of rotation of the sounders or'bows 26 and consequently the volume of the tone produced thereby. The further the key is depressed, the greater the volume as in the case of human playing upon a keyboard, and since the control is individualized to each sounder and thus to each string, much greater facility for individual expression is afforded than has been possible with instruments of this character in the past.

The fingering devices and other mechanism employed may be the same and may be operated in the same manner as disclosed in previous patents, the electric circuits being closed, in'case a keyboard is used, by contacts as indicated at 65 in Fig. 2, in which I have shown a fingering lever magnet 66 connected by a wire 67 with the contact 65.

The key extension 53 is connected by a wire 68 with a battery or other source of electrical current and return wires 69 and 71 lead respectively from the motor 28 and the lingering lever 42.

It is to be understood that the number of shunt circuits may be varied as desired and that the arrangement and form of the electrical units and circuit closing means may be any suited to the purpose, the embodiment shown being largely diagrammatic.

I claim:

1. An individual expression device for mechanically operated musical instruments, comprising in conjunction with the instrument and a plurality of sounders for playing the same, a plurality of motors individualized to said sounders, a resistance element associated with each of said motors, and circuit closing means for energizing said motors, including means for varying the amount of resistance in the motor circuit to vary the expression of the instrument.

2. An individual expression device for mechanically operated musical instruments, comprising in conjunction with an instrument and a plurality of sounders for playing the same, a plurality of motors individualized to said sounders, a resistance element associated with each of said motors, and circuit closing means operable in manual playing of the instrument for energizing said motors, including means for varying the amount of resistance in the motor circuit to vary the expression of the instrument.

3. An individual expression device for mechanically operated musical instruments, comprisin in conjunction with an instru ment and a plurality of sounders for playing the same, a plurality of motors individualized to said sounders, a resistance element associated with each of said motors, and circuit closing means for energizing said motors, including means for shunting out more or less of the resistance in the motor circuit to varythe expression'of the instrument. I

4. An individual expression device for mechanically operated musical instruments comprising, in conjunction with an instrument and a plurality of sounders for playing the same, means for individually varying the speed of operation of said sounders to thereby vary the expression of the instrument.

5. An individual expression device for mechanically opera-ted musical instruments comprising, in combination with an instrument and a plurality of sounders for playing the same, means for individually operating said sounders, including means for varying the speed of operation thereof to control the expression of the instrument. 7

6. An individual expression device for mechanically operated musical instruments comprising, in combination with an instrument and a plurality of sounders for playing the same, means for individually operating said sounders, including means for varying the speed of operation thereof to control the expression of the instrument, said means including manually operable keys and electrical means operated thereby whereby operationof the instrument may be controlled from a point remote from the sounders.

7. A mechanically operated musical instrument comprising a' stringed sound box, individually rotatable sounders for the strings of said instrument, means for moving said sounders into and out of contact with the strings, means for fingering the strings in accordance withthe musical selection to be played, means for rotating said sounders, and means for individually regulating the speed of rotation of the sounders whereby the expression of the instrument may be controlled.

8. An individual expression device for mechanically operated musical instruments, comprising in conjunction with an instrument and a plurality of sounders for playing the same, a plurality of motors individualized to said sounders, aresistance ele ment associated with each of said motors, a keyboard, and circuit closing means operable in manual playing on said keyboard for energizing said motors, including means associated with. the keys for varying the amount of resistance in the motor circuit to vary the expression of the instrument.

9. A mechanically operated musical instrument of the V101 class, comprising a stringed sound box, individual bows for the several strings of the instrument, individual motors for operating said bows, and means for varying the current input to said motors individually to thereby control the expression produced by the individual bows.

10. A mechanically operated musical instrument of the viol class, comprising a stringed sound box, individual bows for the several strings of the instrument, individual motors "for operating said bows, and means for varying the current input from a common source to said bows individually to thereby control the expression produced by the individual bows.

11. A. mechanically operated musical instrument of the viol class, comprising a stringed sound box, individual bows for the several strings of the instrument, individual motors for operating said bows, and means for varying the current input from a. common source to said bows individually to thereby control the expression produced by the individual bows, said last mentioned means comprising a variable resistance ele ment associated with each motor.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specification.

BERT wE. MILLS. 

